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A BJP call centre opens next week, offering screensavers, ring
tones, Vajpayee's thought for the day and even his poetry if you
dial or message to "3030".
The party has tied up with cellular operators so that users can
have the option of keeping an icon of Vajpayee or the BJP's lotus
poll symbol on their mobile screen instead of the service providers'
names.
The party has collected 20 million e-mail identities to inundate
netizens with Vajpayee's messages and BJP's campaign appeals.
The hi-tech campaign is designed to reach out to nearly 150 million
of the total of India's 600 million-plus voters ahead of the national
election expected in April-May, BJP's campaign strategist Pramod
Mahajan said here Wednesday.
According to him, if this campaign fetched even 120 out of 545
parliamentary seats, "it would be a very good response".
"Besides door-to-door campaigning and public meetings, we
will be using telephone, TV, radio, cellular phones, e-mail and
Internet to reach voters with our message," Mahajan said.
"The campaign will require maximum use of technology and minimum
manpower."
From Thursday, a recorded message of Vajpayee appealing for another
chance to serve the nation will go to citizens through the telecom
network, at no cost to the recipient.
The BJP will seek concessions from telecom companies, on account
of making "bulk calls".
"This is Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee speaking, five
years ago you gave me a chance to service you...," begins the
message, and goes on to describe how India is shining before asking
citizens to back the BJP in building a "better nation".
The initial greeting will be in the local language, followed by
Hindi or English text.
There is no direct appeal for votes, perhaps to avoid the scrutiny
of the Election Commission that prescribes an expenditure limit
for campaigning.
Mahajan said the telephone campaign would aim at covering some
70 million phones in India - 24 million mobile phones and 46 million
fixed phones - in the next two months.
"I will give my message to people whether they want to hear
me or not."
By polling time, at least 45 million voters across the country
should have got the message, he noted.
The BJP "call centre" would conduct opinion polls and
seek media feedback on rallies and meetings.
Mahajan also announced a special campaign for "generation
Y2K4", or the youth, and first time voters, through their favoured
TV channels like MTV and Channel V.
Matrimonial and employment websites that attract the young will
also not be spared from this propaganda onslaught, besides campuses
of prominent colleges, including Indian Institutes of Technology
and Indian Institutes of Management.
And finally, there will be a range of sweaters, mugs, caps and
other paraphernalia with Vajpayee motifs or BJP symbols.
But if Mahajan had his way, he would have bombarded still younger
citizens.
"If wishes were horses, I would have seen that examination
papers had the question - who should be prime minister?"
At the least, the BJP has the answer to that one.
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